Crossfire
by quiteriver
Summary: in which Sasuke finds comfort in drugs and Itachi needs to prove chemically man-made products isn't the answer. Modern.
1. Chapter 1

**I was actually inspired by the character Alex Mahone from Prison break.**

 **Song: Fake smiles-Phorah  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Respectively owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

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 _And we all hold onto the past because we miss what it was._

 _Don't want to feel so we try numbing the pain with these drugs._

He slowly uncovered his face, the sunlight seeping through the hotel blinds warmed his cheeks as he gradually opened his heavy eyelids. He immediately closed them again, the images of his dreams slowly fading. It was frankly disturbing- when dreams become better than reality. When the blurry images of the unconscious mind are much better than the reality of life, where choices are limited.

For a brief moment Itachi appreciated the soft silk sheets, the cool feeling it provided on his back, not a wrinkle could be seen. He lazily yawned as he used his hands to prop himself up, leaning on the large leather headboard.

For a couple of seconds Itachi stared at the wall opposite of him, struggling to clear the remaining sleep in his mind. He was mid yawn when his phone began to buzz, the screen lighting up a familiar name, begging to not be ignored. He hesitated for a moment before answering the phone.

He was going to kill him.

Before the Uchiha could begin the string of threats, Narutos breathless voice immediately stopped him. Naruto was calling him on a Sunday morning, on _his_ personal number which only four people have.

"Itachi" he breathed out, struggling to maintain an even breathing pattern.

"It's Sasuke, he's..." the boy on the other line hesitated. Itachi could vaguely hear the sound of cars passing by, the jostling of traffic, the world waking up to another Sunday morning. He heard the breathless blond footsteps become faster as he pushed a heavy door.

"What is it?" Itachi asked, trying to conceal his worried tone.

Naruto was quite for a while and Itachi sensed the boy had stopped in his tracks, who was struggling to voice out the concern he had for his younger brother.

"Naruto" warned Itachi, he was now sitting upright on his king bed, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"The news" whispered the boy on the other end.

In a flash Itachi had lunged off of the warm bed and ran to the remote that lay innocently on the glass coffee table. With a click the television flickered on, a blur of colours as Itachi registered the words of the headline.

 _Uchiha Sasuke son of Fugaku Uchiha has been admitted into hospital-_

The phone had long dropped on the thick carpet with a soft thud.

There was no one in the hotel room as Itachi left the door jarred open.

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There were dozens of reporters in the hospitals reception, each attempting to gain information that would allow them to jump start their career. The buzzing sound intensified the moment Itachi entered the building, flashing lights blinded him as he dizzily made his way to the hospitals assistant.

The lines between Itachi's eyebrows deepened.

Did these people not know this was a _hospital?_

The middle aged nurse with a tint of grey in her hair gave him a timid smile before whispering a room number. Without a moment to spare Itachi pushed his way towards the elevators, glad to have separated away from the commotion.

His onyx eyes remained on the electronic numbers of the elevator; it seemed to stop at each level.

He snarled before pressing the elevator button furiously, mumbling a string of curse words only he could hear.

His usual neat (and brushed) hair was a tangled mess as it didn't have its usual coconut fragrance, the lines under his eyes was prominent as ever from the lack of sleep. His slid a hand into his long hair, attempting to untangle a knot.

 _Sasuke_

His eyes snapped open upon hearing the sharp sound of the elevator, indicating the doors were opening. With a deep breath, he entered.

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His mother was sobbing, her eyes red from the constant tears which caused the wrinkles around them to deepen **.** Her smudged mascara created the impression that she was crying black tears. Her hands wrapped around his brothers fingers, intertwining her fingers with his lifeless ones. Each tear that rolled marked her beautiful face, as if scarring it for life.

On the rare occasions he has seen his mother cry it was _agonizing_. There was a certain emotion that unveiled itself when his mother cried. The raw emotions bled themselves through tears as they silently dropped; one by one as she struggled to compose herself.

However this time was different. This time the tears were harsher, colder. The wound was deeper. It showed no signs of healing.

These were the tears of a mothers love.

Itachi almost choked upon seeing his mother in such a state, he pushed back the suffocating feeling in his chest as he screwed his eyes shut, only opening to them to look at his father.

The man stood in the corner of the room, top two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned while his black tie was loosened around his neck, long forgotten. Upon Itachi's entry his father had merely given him a look, his jaw visibly hardening. His mother had not bothered to spare him a glance as a hiccup broke the tension.

And there, laying in the bed, his face pale and sweaty was his younger brother. A number of IV tubes were inserted into the crook of his right elbow which were connected to a heart monitor. A nasal cannula was placed in his nostrils which was connected to a small oxygen tank that lay on the floor.

He looked dead, as if his soul had long gone and he was merely an empty vessel made of flesh and blood. Left to mourn over.

Itachi wasn't sure on how he would react, neither was he sure on how he could hide his reaction. But whatever he thought it was, it was never this. Never had he seen his usual classy mother, the beautiful face of the Uchiha Company, crumbled to this. She looked like she had aged another ten years.

And Sasuke. He looked like he was barely hanging onto a thread.

"Mother" his voice croaked as he licked his lips, attempting to relieve them from their dryness.

"Oh Sasuke" mumbled his mother, still not looking at her eldest son. Whether she purposely ignored him or whether she felt too broken to wake herself up from her world of pain, Itachi would never know.

"Oh my bab-"a sob interrupted her as tears continued to fall. She buried her head into her youngest son's chest, attempting to subside her pain with the frantic beating of his heart, assuring herself he was _still there._

The beeping sound of the heart monitor along with his mother's sobs were the only sounds that broke the uncomfortable silence.

Itachi remained standing, arms awkwardly at his sides near the door he had entered from, his eyes fixated on his unconscious brother.

No one had explained to him what had happened and in the middle of the commotion Itachi hadn't bothered to listen to the news.

The sound of the door creaking open snapped him out of his train of thoughts as he hesitantly moved out of the way. The door swung open, missing him by mere centimetres.

Narutos once bright blue eyes were lifeless and dark, almost like the sky before lightning flashed. Clouds of grey and blue loomed as they threatened to spill and wet his eyelashes. As if a storm was brewing behind his optical nerves.

The blond boy hesitated before allowing himself to enter, his gaze not leaving his best friends body.

"This is because of you!" hissed his father, his eyes hard as his fist clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"Look at him" a shaky finger pointed to his youngest son, his _lifeless_ youngest son

Naruto opened his mouth but no words came out, but immediately closed his jaw, only to open his mouth again. Almost like a broken doll.

He decided to remain quiet as he clenched his jaw. This was not the time.

"Naruto"

Since Itachi had entered the room his mother had finally spoken to someone other than Sasuke, however her eyes remained on her son.

The blue eyed boy awkwardly made his way to the side of the bed where Mikoto lay, her fingers still clenching _his_ lifeless ones.

"Yes Mrs Uchiha" he mumbled, it sounded strange for Naruto to speak in such a formal tone.

"What happened to my baby?" her voice barely above a whisper, forcing Naruto to lean in order to understand what she said.

"Mikoto" warned the elder Uchiha, his face slightly red from his random outburst.

"The doctors told you-

"I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SON!" she snapped, tearing her gaze away from Sasuke only to glare at her husband. Her throat suddenly felt inflamed from the abrupt outburst.

A few moments later she turned towards Naruto, smiling. But her smile did not reach her eyes.

"What happened?"

Naruto hesitated, his eyes darting from the emotionally torn woman to Itachi who had yet not said a word, who remained standing. Afraid if he took any other action the results would be disastrous.

"Sasuke" the blond boy breathed out, avoiding Mikotos gaze to look at the sweaty body under the wet blankets.

"He was..."

He bit his lip down as he struggled to hold down a sob.

How did it all end like this?

Blue worried eyes met dark porcelain ones.

"Sasuke has been taking drugs for a while and-"

"What are you saying?"

In a flash Itachi had materialized in front of Naruto, his wide onyx eyes flickering with different emotions.

"He hasn't been himself lately and-"

"Are you saying my youngest son is an addict?" Mikoto dangerously whispered, her eyes not leaving Naruto.

His blue pupils hardened, lines barely visible around his eyes even for his young age.

"No ma'am, Sasuke has just been going through a hard time and he-"

"My son is an Uchiha!" Fugaku boomed, eyes wide as his face turned crimson. "What kind of hard time could he be going through? Money is not an issue!" he hissed, a vein throbbing in his forehead.

Naruto gritted his teeth. _If only these people would let him finish._

Of course, for Fugaku money was everything. Being the CEO of the Uchiha enterprise, he was born into wealth and has been happily swimming in it ever since his eyes opened. For Fugaku accumulating wealth was the sole purpose. Money was the healer and the reason to live, for if you were wealthy, all your issues disappeared.

Hence Sasuke had no right to feel the way he was feeling.

Naruto eyes narrowed, which were gradually getting darker.

"Sir, money isn't-"

"Naruto" Itachi warned him, knowing triggering Fugaku wasn't the wisest decision.

The blond clenched his fists before inhaling and exhaling loudly as he mumbled an apology to the enraged father, however his frown remained.

"I know my son better than you do" hissed the leader of the family, turning his back and making his way to his previous spot in the corner of the room.

Naruto snapped.

"If you knew anything about Sasuke, anything! You would realise what kind of pressure you're putting onto him! What kind of father you are! You emotionally abused him! LOOK AT HIM, LOOK AT WHERE HE ENDED!" Naruto had jumped off the bed he was seated on, his face crimson as he growled.

Before either of the people in the room could react Fugaku had suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and slammed his fist into the boys jaw. The sudden impact caused the Uzumaki to stumble backwards, unable to regain his balance, forcing him to land on the bed. The blond boy immediately recognized the metallic taste in his mouth.

"Fugaku!" cried his wife who had shakenly stood up in an attempt to stop her enraged husband.

Before the situation could escalate, Itachi immediately stood between the trios, attempting to diffuse the situation. Between a bleeding Naruto, his panicked mother and his enraged father, his thoughts still remained on his brother.

"Father" whispered Itachi, noticing how Sasuke stirred in his sleep.

"Not now" as his gaze returned to his father whose eyes had turned a dangerous red, knowing how short tempered he was.

Fugakus angry gaze lingered on Naruto for a couple of seconds before he looked at his eldest son.

"I need to go back to the office, I expect you there tomorrow"

Without sparing his wife a glace, Fugaku immediately took off towards the door, purposely slamming it shut.

Mikoto silently slid back into her previous position, gripping Sasukes ghostly fingers into her hand.

Naruto had clumsily managed to get off the bed as droplets of blood landed on the white sheets, forcing himself to wipe the blood with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, his bangs covering his eyes, his voice evidently shaky.

"For the past few months Sasuke has been hanging around people that don't have a good reputation"

He paused as Itachi passed him the white tissue box that lay next to the bed.

"I knew he'd been doing drugs but he promised he was only taking some bullshit over the counter ones to help him sleep" his eyes narrowed before trailing back to the sleeping body.

"But here he is, almost killed by an overdose"

Itachi knew Naruto was blaming himself and frankly he didn't give a shit. He should have told him, why else does Naruto have his number?

He sighed as he massaged his throbbing temple.

"Naruto it's not your fault" it was his mother; eyes closed and biting her trembling lip.

"It's our fault"

Neither of the two disagreed.

 _We hurt the ones we love because of our pain._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: this chapter took me days to edit. My writing didn't go as planned.**

 **Please review! Enjoy.**

" _The human body is the best picture of the human soul" –Ludwig Wittgenstein_

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The body inhales oxygen just to exhale carbon dioxide. Without a brain the heart cannot live. Without a heart the brain cannot live. Without chemically formulated drugs, Sasuke cannot live.

His body demands _it_ and Sasuke must meet these demands daily. He does not own his own body, his organs nor his mind, they belong to _him._ The very blood that swirls in his veins does not belong to him, rather _it._ There are days when Sasuke forgets the sensation of owning his own body, days where he yearns to control his urges and desires.

Sasuke screams. His body on fire, his mind churning for _it_ , begging for _it_. When he finally does consume _it_ he obtains peace. But this only lasts for a period of time before Sasuke is forced to see _him_ again.

When they meet Sasuke is perfect.

When the high dies down he crumbles.

Just like many things in the world, _it_ demands a price.

His body.

Overtime Sasuke's body begins to deteriorate. He loses muscle, his skin turns sickly pale and the needle scars in the crook of his elbow look like blood splashed on a beautiful piece of art.

This was the price.

 _The drugs cause his blood vessels to tighten, the pressure on his constricted arteries and veins command his heart to beat faster. In attempt to keep up with his rapid heart he breathes. But inhaling the required oxygen deems a struggle as he suddenly feels something blocking his airway. He is in agony._

 _Suddenly he's gasping for air as the sharp pain in his chest intensifies. His breathing slowly becomes short and ragged as his lungs struggle to function_ _ **.**_ _His muscles fail him as they constantly twitch, unable to control the persistent pain. He knows if he remains in this condition, his muscle tissues are bound to rip themselves apart._

When Sasuke overdoses his body enters overdrive. His brain finds it difficult to cope with the excess amount of chemicals. His mind shatters, the deep cracks visible. His emotions unstable. He is delusional, paranoid. Eyes follow him where ever he walks. Whispers follow him where ever he stands.

" _Pathetic"_

" _More"_

He vaguely sees a middle aged man affectionately place his hand on his shoulder, asking if he is okay.

Sasuke tears his body away from the human touch, his body in flames.

" _He wants to kill you"_

He hisses at the man but his muscles ignore the order, instead an animalistic sound erupts from his throat.

The man cowers in fear before distancing himself from Sasuke.

His head darts from side to side as the shadows begin to converge, mocking and whispering before they control his mind.

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Fourteen hours later Sasuke opens his eyes.

Two hours later he is heaving whatever remains in his stomach into a metal bucket provided by the nurses.

Thirty minutes later he feels light headed.

As moments pass Sasuke is slowly able to make out objects in the room without suffering from a mild headache.

One hour later he is able to slowly move his fingers, silently pleased his body is responding. That _he_ is in control.

By the time the sun slowly ascends Sasuke finally recognizes the room he resides in and realizes what he has done.

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His mother is smiling, but the emotion does not reach her eyes. The moment she walks in, a sense of comfort surrounds Sasuke. (Who is silently grateful his mother bothered to visit him.) Her presence seems to light up the room, keeping the shadows at bay.

Sasuke lays motionlessly in bed as his mother discusses the new gardener and the horrible man her sister decided to marry. For once he chooses to actually listen, lightly smiling at the perfect moments.He decides he deserves to indulge in a little drama.

For it made it forget about his own.

His mother seems to notice his stomach rumbling as she chuckles, before unsealing the plastic bag that she had brought with her, uncovering fresh homemade food.

He misses her cooking.

His mother does not ask questions. She does not demand answers. She does not cry.

But Sasuke knows his mother has already tormented herself when he was unconscious.

He is not oblivious.

Her swollen crimson eyes and the deep purple bags underneath them reveal otherwise. There is a certain roughness to her voice which indicates she spent most of the night sobbing and screaming **.**

He feels a pang of guilt for the woman who beared him for nine months. For she was the only person in his family that showed compassion and love. How could he explain himself?

"Your father will be visiting soon" she smiles, but the corners of her mouth twitch for the slightest of moments.

There is a specific area in the temporal lobe labelled as the Amygdala. It is responsible for the different emotions humans undergo; love, fear and anger. And for a long time Sasuke assumed his father had medically gotten his Amygdala removed.

The man feels nothing, he fears nothing.

He almost envies him. Almost.

His mother eventually leaves, along with his sanity.

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When night descends, when only the moon illuminates the large hospital room, when the echo of biomedical equipment break the screaming silence, Sasuke begins to hear voices.

He no longer distinguishes between his thoughts and the voices.

It's 3 a.m. when he notices. When the darkness envelopes the room and his imagination produces jawless creatures. When the dark void surrounds him he whimpers. Its sharp edges cutting him as it drains the oxygen in the room. It is not merciful, it is mocking as it brings along with it the demons of his childhood.

It is not forgiving.

Inhale oxygen.

If breaking is painful, recovery is worse. Beyond the metal handles of the hospital doors, the flirtatious nurses and the doctors hiding behind yellow clipboards is the obvious fact that he is just another digit. Another statistic to be written and studied. Another "poor soul" who finds tranquillity in white powdered products.

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A light knock on the door breaks the uneasy silence. Sasuke quickly assumes it's not his afternoon nurse nor the usual doctor. Neither knock.

"Come in" his raspy voice comes out much rougher than he expects.

The metal door swings open silently as Itachi steps into the room, illuminated by the artificial light.

Sasuke's breath is caught in his throat. He doesn't expect to see his brother, let alone visit. (He is still surprised his mother had bothered to visit.)

 _The day Sasuke turned 21 he had enthusiastically packed his ruffle bag and bolted downstairs, eager to break the news to his family. He had decided to attend law school and live closer to his university, none other than Naruto who had planted the idea in his mind._

 _He wanted to become independent. He wanted to live away from his father's scrutinizing stare. Fugaku was surprisingly supportive. He had offered him money but Sasuke confusingly declined, shocked by his father's reaction._

 _Sasuke ventured._

 _Within a year he was arrested twice, lost his scholarship and failed multiple subjects in university, forcing him to drop out._

 _Overtime his father no longer picked his phone, his brother no longer answered his texts and his mother became suddenly busy. His family was pulling away, isolating themselves. Sasuke had a strong feeling it was all his father's doing, adamant to have no connection with his youngest son. The son that dishonoured the family name. The son that brought news headlines and shame to his father's name. Sasuke became the appendix of the family, the wisdom teeth._

 _Hence it was surprising when the youngest Uchiha woke up to find his mother seated next to his bed, clenching his bed sheets and biting down a sob._

"Sasuke"

Itachi's voice interrupts his train of thought. Sasuke snaps his head towards the owner of the voice only to notice the eldest has made himself comfortable, seating on the same chair his mother was in a couple of hours ago.

"How are you feeling?"

Obsidian eyes meet hollow onyx ones.

"Fine" he intends to sound harsh, instead it comes out as a whimper.

Itachi's emotionless eyes scan the youngest laying in the bed, his gaze flickers to the scars on his arms where the numerous needles were placed. The prominent lines under Sasuke's eyes and the way they dart around the room, almost expecting someone to suddenly appear.

Itachi inhales.

"What happened Sasuke?" his voice barely above a whisper.

This is what Sasuke was avoiding. The confrontation. The sympathetic looks and concerned expressions.

"Sasuke" Itachi's palm rests on his knee, giving a slight squeeze of assurance.

The paranoid boy instantly flinches, forcing his knee out of his brother's grip.

Itachi is slightly taken back, however he quickly composes himself. Choosing to ignore his younger brother's strange behaviour.

 _There are sixty seconds in a minute. Sixty minutes in an hour. Twenty-four hours in a day._

 _8760 hours in a year._

 _People change on a daily base. Whether it is a minor or major change, the change itself still occurs. Humans adapt, they grow._

 _Itachi could not judge Sasuke based on who he was over 8760 hours ago._

 _Change is constant._

Hence why Itachi decides on a different approach.

"I spoke to your Doctor, he wants to transfer you to a recovery facility and make sure you don't…"

His voice trails off as he notices Sasuke has chosen to ignore him.

Sasuke eyes flicker to the large French window south of the room, its ivory frame chipping as it's overdue for another coat of paint.

Silence.

"How long?"

The eldest hesitates before answering. "Usually 30 days but based on your…"

Exhale.

"Condition maybe more"

Sasuke meets Itachi's worried gaze.

Suddenly he remembers he's just another statistic. Itachi's sympathetic gaze rips through his soul and makes him feel _damaged._

Sasuke's knuckles turn white, his teeth clench and his face hardens. He instantly has the urge to destroy something, to hurt _him._ The wrath consumes his body, threatening to destroy his morals.

Once again, Itachi was the enemy.

 _But Sasuke has long destroyed his morals, choosing death over life._

"I don't need your sympathy" he suddenly spits out as his face turns a certain shade of crimson.

"Sasuke look at you" hisses Itachi in an attempt to wake up his _broken_ brother. He wants to scream, grab him by his shoulders and shake him until he finally realizes.

But Itachi knows picking up broken shards of a mirror is bound to lead to cuts.

Instead he relies on his words.

"They want to treat it as attempted suicide but father managed to convince them it was an accidental overdose. Besides what are you doing taking drugs, let alone the amount-"

"So you want me to thank _father_?" the snide remark strikes a chord in Itachi.

"Stop acting like a child"

"Shut up!" barks Sasuke. The heart monitor rapidly beeps, begging not to be ignored.

"You have no right to judge me, no fucking right. You have no idea!"

The machine continues to produce the loud sound, alerting the nurses of the patient's condition.

Itachi stares at the emotional wreck laying before him. The way his brothers cheeks flush crimson as he digs his nails into his palm, drawing out blood.

Sasuke struggles to compose himself as his eye sight becomes blurry, he refuses to allow the tears to fall.

Before any more pain is afflicted, the door suddenly swings open and two young nurses rush in.

"Check his oxygen rate" urges one to the other as their hands are suddenly placed on the shaking boy.

Sasuke pushes them away, angrily wiping away the tears that threaten to spill.

 _How pathetic._

"I'm fine" he says between clenched teeth.

"Your heart rate is through the roof! For someone your age it shouldn't…" her eyes instantly flicker to Itachi who has suddenly stood up, a shocked look replacing his usual patient façade.

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Once Itachi leaves the room he meets the red haired nurse who had barraged into the room a few moments ago. (After the commotion he was asked to leave.)

"Excuse me sir" she hesitates before continuing. "I'm sure you understand the impact of what has happened to Sasuke's body"

Itachi isn't sure if she's done talking.

"His mind has taken most of the toll and the damage is most physiological. We advise you not to stress him out"

Itachi is surprised she isn't reading from a script.

He merely nods in understanding. The nurse gives him a warm smile before turning around, the heels of her shoes producing sharp sounds against the marble tiles.

"Excuse me"

The nurse twirls on her heels, arching an eyebrow as she faces the questioning man.

"Would I be able to speak to Uchiha Sasuke's doctor?"

She eyes him thoughtfully before her face breaks into a smile.

"Of course"

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The sunlight seeping through the large rustic window forces him to open his eyes. He already feels a headache forming as he mentally groans, willing the pain away.

He suddenly notices Itachi's presence, whose gaze is boring into his.

"You've lost weight" Itachi whispers, stating the obvious.

He chooses to ignore the argument that had occurred yesterday.

"Yeh, that's what meth does to you"

Itachi inwardly flinches from the dark honesty, his brother is too comfortable with his situation.

He however allows the crude comment to slide.

"They're releasing you today, we're just waiting for the release forms"

 _We?_

Sasuke closes his eyes briefly before forcing himself to sit up using the support of his palms.

"What about the rec-"

"You're doctor has come to the decision that it's best for you to receive treatment from home. However…"

Of course. There was a condition.

"You have to reside with me and I have to make sure you attend the recovery programs"

Sasuke's jaw slackens.

"What? No! I refuse I would-"

"Sasuke" Itachi's impassive tone interrupts him.

Sasuke vaguely remembers Itachi using the very same tone when they were younger.

He chooses to bury the memory.

"You _will_ be forced to stay in a recovery facility and they will most definitely treat you as a suicide case. Don't be ignorant"

Sasuke growls, he was naïve and foolish.

But he was intelligent enough to know which path was the best for him.

Sasuke knows Itachi has a soft spot for him.

Sasuke knows how to be manipulative. After all, his father _is_ Fugaku Uchiha.

"Your choice" Itachi gestures with his hands, pointing between both of them.

"Or you could stay with mother and father" his upper lip curling in a smirk.

Sasuke glares at him.

Itachi interprets his silence as a yes and curtly nods.

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It is his anchor, his life.

It brings him from darkness to light only to end with light to darkness.

 _It is bitter and sweet._

 _It is euphoria and misery._

 _It is his end, his death._


End file.
